Black Songwriters You Should Know
Black songwriters have changed the game musically. Without them we wouldn’t have many of the wonderful hits we cherish so much. Black songwriters have been historically underrepresented in the music business and we hope that continues to change in the coming years!
Here’s a list of black songwriters who inspire us daily. This list is ongoing and we plan to continue updating it!
Read on to learn more about these writers and celebrate their musical contributions to the world.
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette Elliott also known by her artist name Missy Elliott. Picture courtesy of Atlantic Records.
Missy Elliott was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, making her the first female hip-hop artist to receive the honor.
Songs We Love:
- “Work It” - Missy Elliott
- “Tempo” - Lizzo (featuring Missy Elliott)
- “Cool Off” - Missy Elliott
Shy Carter
Picture courtesy of ShyCarterOfficial.com
Shy has written for top acts such as Meghan Trainor, Jason Derulo, Charlie Puth, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Billy Currington.
Songs We Love:
- “Stuck Like Glue” - Sugarland
- “One Call Away” - Charlie Puth
- “God Whispered Your Name” - Keith Urban
Ester Dean
Esther Renay "Ester" Dean also known as Ester Dean. Image Courtesy of HotNewHipHop.
Esther Dean has written songs for many artists, with numerous Top 10 hits, including No. 1 hits for Rihanna and Katy Perry, earning the name "The Song Factory”.
Songs We Love:
- “Thinkin Bout You” - Ciara
- “Pills N Potions” - Nicki Minaj
- “Firework” - Katy Perry
Rico Love
Image courtesy of Billboard.
Richard Preston Butler Jr., better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, rapper and record producer.
Songs We Love:
- “There Goes My Baby” - Usher
- “They Don’t Know” - Rico Love
- “Just A Dream” - Nelly
Starrah
Picture courtesy of Pulse Recordings
Brittany Talia Hazzard, professionally known as Starrah, is an American songwriter, singer and rapper. She has written 14 singles thus far that have reached Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, two of which went number one.
Songs We Love:
- “Needed Me” - Rihanna
- “Now Or Never” - Halsey
- “Girls Like You” - Maroon 5
Swagg R'Celious
Image courtesy of The Hype Magazine
David 'Swagg R'Celious' Harris is a Grammy winning songwriter/producer/vocalist, who is signed to Sony/ATV. He’s worked with many artists including Baby Face, American Authors, H.E.R., Wale, Alicia Keys, Neyo, Brandy, Kehlani, K. Michelle, Elle Varner, and Busta Rhymes. Swagg joined us at Songathon in NYC, check out his Q&A session here!
Songs We Love:
- “Could’ve Been” - H.E.R. ft. Bryson Tiller
- “1st Position” - Kehlani
- “Go” - Alex Da Kid ft. H.E.R., Rapsody
Diana Gordon
Diana is an American singer-songwriter. She began as a writer for other artists, later signing with Atlantic Records where she began working on an album.
Songs We Love:
- “Sorry” - Beyoncé
- “Electricity” - Silk City, Dua Lipa
- “The Kids Are Alright” - Chloe x Halle
Brian Kennedy
Brian is an American songwriter, record producer and musician from Kansas City, Missouri. Some well known artists he has worked with include Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Brown, Rascal Flatts, Jennifer Hudson, Lady Gaga, Ceelo Green, Backstreet Boys, Jamie Foxx, Nelly, and Natasha Bedingfield.
Songs We Love:
- “Mr. Know It All” - Kelly Clarkson
- “Disturbia” - Rihanna
- “If This Isn’t Love” - Jennifer Hudson
Shea Taylor
Image courtesy of Discogs
Robert “Shea” Taylor is a songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist based in New York City. He established an early successful songwriting partnership with Def Jam's R&B singer-songwriter phenom Ne-Yo, and has also worked with Rihanna, Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Chris Brown, and Wyclef Jean.
Songs We Love:
- “Love On Top” - Beyoncé
- “Thinkin Bout You” - Frank Ocean
- “Best Thing I Never Had” - Beyoncé
Angela Hunte
Angela Hunte-Wisner also known as Angela Hunte. Image courtesy of AngelaHunte.com
Angela Hunte-Wisner known by the stage name Angela Hunte, is an American-Trinidadian singer-songwriter, and producer. She is best known for being a contributing writer for Empire State of Mind, with Alicia Keys and Jay Z, a song which won her a Grammy.
Songs We Love:
- “Empire State of Mind” - Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys
- “Bang Bang” - Melanie Fiona
- “Show Stopper” - Danity Kane
DannyBoyStyles
Danny Schofield, known professionally as DannyBoyStyles. Image courtesy of Billboard.
Danny is a Grammy award-winning record producer, engineer, songwriter, and composer. He produced all ten tracks on The Weeknd's album Kiss Land and won a Grammy for his work on The Weeknd's follow-up, Beauty Behind the Madness.
Songs We Love:
- “Often” - The Weeknd
- “Kiss Land” - The Weeknd
- “Does It Feel” - Charlie Puth
Tayla Parx
Image courtesy of Atlantic Records.
Taylor Monét Parks, known professionally as Tayla Parx, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. In 2018, Parks was credited as a co-writer on three Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles
Songs We Love:
- “Love Lies” - Khalid, Normani
- “Thank U, Next” - Ariana Grande
- “Boss” - Fifth Harmony
Claude Kelly
Image courtesy of GRAMMY.com
Claude Kelly is an American singer, songwriter and music producer. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee, and has written or co-written songs for Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Kesha, Brandy, and One Direction. He is one-half of R&B duo Louis York, and founded the music collective Weirdo Workshop.
Songs We Love:
- “Grenade” - Bruno Mars
- “Party In The U.S.A.” - Miley Cyrus
- “I Found A Girl” - The Vamps
Kirby Lauryen
Image courtesy of Stax Music Academy.
KIRBY is an artist and singer-songwriter from Southaven, Mississippi. An alumni of Berklee College of Music, Kirby sparked a career in songwriting by writing a song a day on YouTube for 275 days. She was signed to Roc Nation on Day 302
Songs We Love:
- “FourFiveSeconds” - Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney
- “Tell Me You Love Me” - Demi Lovato
- “Kool Aid” - KIRBY